


Sherlock's Second Date

by Surrealx3



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: But cute lies, Fakes Ex, First Second Date, Lies, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pre-Slash, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-10 12:27:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7844929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Surrealx3/pseuds/Surrealx3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So saw this prompt:<br/>‘my new romance-obsessed friend asked me who my last date was with and i was too embarrassed to say i’ve never been on a date so i blurted your name and it turns out they know you’ au<br/>And decided to try it with Johnlock so here ya go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of this tumblr [ post ](http://bookish-air.tumblr.com/post/149331011731/mraculous-weve-all-heard-of-the-fake-dating)

Sherlock despised the ‘lunch dates’ Irene forced him to attend every other week at a local pub. Just because they attended different schools, she felt the need for weekly reinforcement of their friendship. It was ridiculously sentimental. And despite his complaints, she always found new people to attend. Always disgustingly nice people who tried to include him in whatever inane conversation they were having.

“What about you, Sherlock?” a mousey girl Irene introduced as Molly asked. She was just describing her last date with a(n obviously gay) man she met recently. “Have you gone on any dates?”

Sherlock hummed vaguely, ignoring the skeptical look Irene shot him.

“Really?” Irene pursued the lie, “Who?”

“None of your business,” Sherlock said, hoping to drop the topic, “It didn’t go very well anyway. I doubt there’d be a second one.”

“Come on, Sherly,” she implored with a predatory grin. “Just give me a name.”

Sherlock huffed and spat out the most generic name he could think of. “John.”

“John what?” she asked, smiling daringly.

A flicking lightbulb in the corner of the room caught Sherlock’s eye. “Wattson.”

“Watson,” a pudgy boy that Sherlock remembered as Stamford interjected. “Why, John Watson is one of my mates. I knew he was bi but he didn’t say anything about a guy recently.”

Sherlock repeated through gritted teeth, “It didn’t go very well.”

“So the ol’ Watson charm didn’t pull you in?” Stamford chuckled, “Well I guess he can’t win all his battles.”

“This John of yours,” Irene couldn’t resist asking, “Is he fit?”

“Well to me, he’s not much,” Stamford answered, amused, “But to the girls at school, He’s irresistible. He’s an all-around nice bloke too.”

Irene pointed a commanding finger at Sherlock. “We’re getting you a second date.”

Sherlock started, “What?”

She rolled her eyes at him, “Knowing you, you probably didn’t hold back any deductions or insults in a pathetic attempt to prove that you’re not as attracted to him as you are. You are not letting go of this opportunity, I won’t let you. You will go on another date with him and let him see how adorable you truly are.”

“He said he was heading to the library today to study for an exam tomorrow,” Stamford offered, oblivious to Sherlock’s fury mixed with genuine fear and embarrassment. “Knowing him, he’s probably still there.”

Sherlock blustered, “There is absolutely no reason for you to involve yourself in my love life.”

“Of course there is,” Irene waved away his complaints easily. “Mike, you’re coming with us. There’s no way Sherlock would point this guy out.”

“Sure.” Sherlock glared at Stamford for his too enthusiastic reply. The two of them were out the pub before Sherlock could blink, leaving him to run after them and try desperately to make Irene rethink her decision.

“This is humiliating,” Sherlock whined as they went up the stairs of the campus library.

“Oh, hush,” she scolded him gently, “If you liked him enough to go on a first date with him then surely you can survive through a second. Besides, you haven’t said a bad thing about him. He must have been a good date.”

Sherlock cursed himself for not thinking to complain about this imaginary date of his. It was just so hard to complain about something that _wasn’t real_.

They weren’t more than a few steps into the library when Mike spotted this ‘John Watson’ of his. A head of golden blond hair was hovering over an open book while one hand, left hand, took notes. The boy was compact, broad shoulders and little height and had tan skin from days playing rugby in the sun. At hearing his name called, he looked up with curious blue eyes and broad smile showed some confusion as the group headed over to them.

“Mike,” he greeted. He looked like he was about to say something else but Mike ploughed on.

“Mate, you didn’t tell me you went on a date with Sherlock Holmes. Aren’t you a proper charmer?”

“Uh,” his eyes went from Mike, flowed over Irene in a fashion Sherlock hadn’t seen happen before, and landed straight on him. Sherlock shrunk under his gaze, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“Listen, I know he’s an idiot,” Irene stepped forward, drawing his attention. “But he’s really sweet if you give him a chance. All those deductions and insults were just nerves getting to him. Take him on a second date and I swear he’ll behave.”

“Oh, um.” Sherlock hung his head, waiting for John to tie the noose. “I thought we _were_ going on a second date.”

There were a few seconds where Sherlock thought he had imagined the words but when he snapped his head up, John was smiling warmly at him. “Sorry, Sherlock. I guess I got so caught up in studying I forgot to ask you on a second date. Tell you what,” John stood up and walked past Irene and Mike to hold Sherlock’s hand. “We’ll do whatever you like after my exam tomorrow.”

Sherlock realized he was staring and averted his eyes. Clearing his throat, he nodded, “Yes, that would be… fine. It’s all fine.”

“Good,” John’s eyes gleamed in amusement, “Because I’d really hate to miss out on a second date with you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think this is a good thing.

 

Thankfully, it didn’t take long to convince Irene to leave after John covered his story _and_ promised a second date. And Sherlock was grateful for it.

Until he realized that he was stuck with his fake date.

“So, Sherlock Holmes, was it?” John was looking at him curiously, lips quirked up in a handsome smile.

Sherlock nodded, “And you’re John Watson. That’s a rather unfortunate name. It’s completely generic and I’d be surprised if there aren’t plenty of criminals in the county and out using that name as an alias.”

Rather than getting annoyed, John seemed even more amused. He quipped, “Well one could hardly hope to compare to a grand name like Sherlock Holmes. I suppose my parents decided not to try.”

“They’d rather doom you to getting arrested for the crimes of another John Watson?” Sherlock looked honestly horrified. “With how incompetent the Met are, even I wouldn’t be able to convince them that they had the wrong John Watson.”

“Even you?” John inquired, caught on the detail.  

Sherlock pursed his lips before explaining reluctantly, “I’m rather skilled at catching onto things before the Met does. I call it the Art of Deduction.”

“Really?” John seemed honestly interested. “How does it work?”

“Well, I can tell that you play rugby but the mud on your shoes, that you’re captain by the scribbles on the margin of your notes and a close relative is burgeoning alcoholic, which infuriates you to no end.”

John’s eyebrows flew up, having obviously expected something more obvious and far less personal. “Okay. Not going to comment on that last one. Take me through the process.”

“First one is disgustingly easy. You gain an inch of height off the caked on clay mud alone. Where is there a high concentration of clay mud? Sport fields for high contact sports such as rugby. Second one, well you’re obviously scribbling strategies for rugby. Not only imagining the plays but making multiple ones. You would hardly find that type of dedication in someone who has no say in the plays. Third, you smell like alcohol but instead of drinking with Mike and his friends like he doubtlessly invited you to several times, you’re in the library. Not only are you’re not just refraining from drinking. You’re avoiding it.” Once Sherlock was done, he waited for John to come to the conclusion they all came to. He was a freak. Someone to be avoided.

“Wow,” John scratched the back of his neck, a smile, although hesitant, was visible. “I’m definitely going to need your number, you know, in case another John Watson lands me in the slammer.”

There were a few seconds where Sherlock could only look at John with complete and utter shock. Then he realized that it would be useful for John to have him on his side at some point in the future. “I suppose so.”

After they exchanged numbers, John asked, “So what are we going to do for our date tomorrow?”

Sherlock started, “What?”

“Our date. Actually, we can eat dinner together right now and that’ll be the first date so tomorrow is actually the second date. Or we can go with the story of our first date being our second date but I feel like that’d be cheating both of us out of a great date.”

Sherlock couldn’t help staring in complete and utter shock. “You’re serious.”

“Of course. I want to go on a date with you.”

Sherlock continued to stare.

“You’re not going to make me beg, are you?” John tilted his head questioningly but it was thwarted by his knowing smile. “Sherlock Holmes, will you please let me take you on a date so I can get to know the gorgeous, intelligent boy in front of me? I promise to be a gentleman.”

Sherlock proceeded to gap speechlessly.

 “Or I can promise to not be.” John burdened his heart with a charming wink.

“I… uh… yes,” Sherlock cleared his throat, ignoring the blush on his prominent cheeks. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go on a date.”

“Good,” John concluded, a glimmer of adoration already in his eyes.

Sherlock stared resolutely at his shoes, trying to hide the shy smile that was emerging. “Good.”

**Author's Note:**

> Visit my tumblr [ here. ](http://bookish-air.tumblr.com/) Feel free to prompt me. I want to give new things a try.


End file.
